The Da Vinci Code AU
by jedimasterstar
Summary: The is my AU version of the movie. What would happen when you add an extra person to the plotline? Read and find out. I own nothing.
1. The Lecture

**Hello and welcome to my version of _The Da Vinci Code_ the movie. The dialogue comes from the movie, with some added lines, some my own and some from the published screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. The illustrated screenplay features dialogue that was never heard in the film. Hope you enjoy!**

**Summary:** Professor Samara Karrington is in Paris to hear a lecture from her good friend Robert Langdon. Yet during the next few hours will bring in a number of revelations and tumults into her life.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Da Vinci Code_ or the screenplay. They belong to Dan Brown, Akiva Goldsman, Columbia Pictures, Ron Howard, and everyone else that is not me. Did I get everybody?

**Chapter 1**

Professor Samara Karrington sat among a crowd of students, academics, and regular people at the American University of Paris. She arrived in Paris yesterday to sit in on a lecture that her friend Robert Langdon was going to give. And from her impression of Paris, it was going well. "Check. Check. Can you hear me?" asked Langdon. "Okay, you can hear me," he said. There were many agreements from the audience. Langdon began his lecture. "Symbols are a language that can tell us of our past. As the saying goes, a picture can speak a thousand words. But which words?" he asked as images appeared behind him. "Interpret this symbol. First thing comes to mind. Go." A white pointed hat appeared.

"Hatred. Racism," said one student.

"Ku Klux Klan," said another.

"They would disagree with you in Spain. There, they're priests' robes," said Langdon, widening the picture. "Now this? Fast," he said, bringing up a picture of a pitchfork.

"Evil," said a male student.

"_La fourche du Diable_," said a Spanish student.

"The Devil's pitchfork," translated someone.

Langdon widen the picture. "Poor old Poseidon. That is his trident. A symbol of power for millions of ancients. Now this." This time it was a picture of the Madonna and Child.

"Madonna and Child."

"Faith. Christianity."

"Or the pagan god Horus and his mother Isis, made centuries before Christ's birth," Samara called out. Langdon smiled, recognizing her voice.

"How we view our past determines _actively_ our ability to understand the present. So, how do we sift truth from belief? How do we penetrate years of historical distortion to find the original truth? How do we write our own histories, personally or culturally, and thereby define ourselves? That will be our discussion tonight," said Langdon, pressing on through the lecture.

* * *

After the lecture, Samara sneaked backstage to find Langdon. "You were wonderful, Robert," she said, hugging him. 

"Samara, when did you get into Paris? I didn't even know you were coming," Langdon said.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," she answered.

"Well, you accomplished that. Come on, join me at the book signing," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her out front. He took another glance at her. Samara was a couple inches shorter than he was, with long strawberry blonde hair and emerald eyes. She was very beautiful and he was nervous to be around her. He sat down at a table with copies of his latest book _Symbols of the Sacred Feminine_, and Samara pulled up a chair somewhat behind him. After he chatted with an American woman, Samara noticed a short, slightly balding man push his way up to the table. "Professor, I am Lieutenant Collet of the Direction Centrale Police Judiciaire," the man said.

"The DCPJ?" asked a startled Samara. The man ignores her. "Would you take a look at this photo please?" he asked, handing Langdon a photo. Samara watched as Langdon turned white. "Robert, what is it?" she asked, looking over his shoulder. What she saw was a crime scene photo of a murdered man.

"My captain had hoped, considering your expertise, and the markings on the body, you might assist us," said Collet. Samara looked at Langdon, who was instinctively looking at her.

"May my friend come? She is also a professor of religious symbology," asked Langdon. Collet looked at Samara. "Certainly," he responded, lifting Langdon's coat. As they walked towards the doors, Collet continued, " It was taken less than an hour ago. Inside the Louvre."

"Who is he?" asked Samara, not recognizing the dead man.

"Jacques Sauniere, the Louvre's curator," Collet answered.

"I was supposed to have a drink with him earlier tonight, before the lecture," said Langdon.

"Yes, we know. We found your name in his daily planner. Was he in good health?"

"I'm sorry?" asked a confused Langdon.

"When you had these drinks with him?"

"He never showed up. I waited over an hour," answered Langdon as he looked at the picture again.

"Why would someone do this to him?" asked Samara.

"Yeah, why would he?" asked Langdon.

"Ah, You misunderstand, Madame, Professor. He was shot, yes. But what you see in the photograph, Monsieur Sauniere did to himself," said Collet, opening a car door. Langdon and Samara look at each other in disbelief.

**Well, here's the first chapter. If you are wondering why I am writing an AU of the story, I got my inspiration from several different stories that people have done on this site. They wrote AUs of different movies, adding new characters into them. Well, what do you think? You all like?**


	2. The Louvre and Revelations

**Hello again. Thanks to those who reviewed. Here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it and as always please Review!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any aspect of _The Da Vinci Code_. Only Samara.

**Chapter 2**

The car arrived at the Louvre a while later. "The captain is expecting you," said Collet, and then he drove off.

"Okay," said Langdon.

"Bye," said Samara. She turned to look at the Grand Pyramid. "It really does look lovely," she said. Langdon couldn't agree more, yet he was thinking more of her than of the pyramid. He has had a crush on her ever since they met. Looking towards the entrance, he saw a man with a bulky frame, dark hair, and dark eyes coming towards them. "Mr. Langdon?" he asked.

"Yes. Hello," said Langdon.

"I am Captain Bezu Fache," he introduced himself. He looked at Samara. "Professor Karrington?"

"Good evening," replied Samara.

"You both like our pyramid?" asked Fache.

"Magnificent," said Langdon.

"It's beautiful," agreed Samara.

"A scar on the face of Paris," said Fache. Samara and Langdon looked at each other and she shrugged. "After me, please." They entered the museum and came to the _La Pyramid Inversée_. "The pairing of these two pyramids is unique," said Langdon.

"The two are geometric echoes," added Samara.

"The smaller structure is a perfect partner to the larger," concluded Langdon.

"Fascinating," came the sarcastic response from the DCPJ captain.

"I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be here this evening," said Langdon. They continued walking until Fache asked, "How well did you know the curator?"

"Not well at all. We only met once. We were on a panel together," replied Langdon, adding a small smile.

"Something is funny?" asked Fache.

"We didn't agree on much. Frankly, I was surprised that he contacted me," said Langdon. Samara listened to the banter as they entered the elevator. _I can't believe I am in the Louvre after closing_, she thought with excitement, though she wished it was under better circumstances. They continued walking until Samara noticed the body. "Dear God," she said in horror.

"No, Madame, I would say quite the opposite, wouldn't you?" said Fache.

"Jesus, this is the Vitruvian Man. He's positioned his body to duplicate one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous sketches. It's on a one-euro coin," said Langdon.

"And why would he do that?" asked Fache, watching Langdon.

"He drew this with is own blood," said Samara.

"From the bullet hole," responded Fache. He looked at her. "Stomach wounds leave one ample time to die." She shook her head and looked at the dead curator. "You poor old man," she whispered. Fache now observed her. He has never met someone like her. She was gorgeous and intelligent and full of compassion.

"Quite so. And the star on his skin?" he asked.

"The pentacle," answered Langdon.

"What does it mean?" he asked. As Langdon explained, Samara looked at the symbol. Why would the Louvre curator draw a goddess symbol on his body? It doesn't make any sense. But when Fache shined a penlight to the ground, she gasped.

"_13-3-2-21-1-1-8-5_

_O, Draconian devil!_

_Oh, lame saint!"_ she read aloud.

"Ultraviolet ink. Used for tagging paintings for restoration," observed Langdon.

"What would _you _do if you had such limited time to send a message?" asked Fache.

"I suppose I would try to give the identity of my killer," replied Samara.

"_Précisément. Précisément_. So, Professor – " yet before Fache could continued, Samara noticed a young woman coming towards them, talking to Fache. As the two talked, Samara whispered, "I don't like where this conversation is going, Robert. It's starting to sound like an interrogation."

"I couldn't agree more," Langdon said. Then he picked up on one word. "Ow. It is the Fibonacci sequence. From the top of the order, too." The woman noticed Langdon and, after introducing herself as Sophie Neveu from DCPJ Cryptology, said that there was an urgent message waiting for him from the American embassy. As Langdon used Fache's phone to make the call, Samara noticed the change on his face as he listened to the message. She grabbed his hand. "What is it, Robert?"

"There's been an accident. A friend. I need to fly home in the morning," he replied.

"I see," said Fache.

Langdon asked if there was a bathroom that he could use to splash water on his face. As he walked off, Samara looked at Fache. "I think that there is something more going on behind this than what you are telling us. If you would excuse me, I think that I might use the restroom, too," she said, walking off after Langdon. Fache looked at her. _Mysterious woman indeed_.

* * *

When Samara arrived at the bathrooms, she looked around and proceeded into the men's bathroom. Inside she found Langdon and Sophie. "What is going on?" asked Samara.

"I agree. What's going on?" asked Langdon.

"Do you have a message from Sauniere?" asked Sophie.

"What are you talking about?" asked Langdon, staring at her.

"Crazy old man," she said.

"Look, you have Robert here confused with someone else. He was asked to consult…" started Samara but Sophie cut her off.

"No, he is under _sous surveillance cachée_," she said.

"Of course I am – I'm what?" asked a suddenly confused Langdon.

Sophie explained, "Bring the suspect to the crime scene and hope he incriminates himself."

"Suspect? But why would Robert be a suspect?" asked Samara. Sophie explained to them that her superiors were tracking Langdon. Still seeing their confusion, she asked, "What do you both think about the fourth line of text Fache wiped clean before you arrived?"

"What fourth line?" asked Samara. Sophie showed them a picture. Samara read:

"_13-3-2-21-1-1-8-5_

_O, Draconian devil!_

_Oh, lame saint!_

_P.S. Find Robert Langdon._"

Samara looked in shock at Langdon, who himself was stunned.

**A nice place to end at. Well, what's the verdict? Like or Dislike?**


	3. Starting to Put Pieces Together

**I'm still here. I had some problems between writer's block and college classes starting that my writing was put on hold. As a warning, updates may be irregular.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _The Da Vinci Code_. Look under Chapter 1 to see those who do.

**Chapter 3**

"Fache will be in here soon. Can you think of any message he left for me?" asked Sophie. Samara watched as Langdon continued to look at the photo.

"Fache?" he asked.

"No, Sauniere," she replied.

"Only that we meet."

"That you meet _me_?"

"No, _him_. Sauniere," replied Langdon. There was a moment of silence.

"You knew him," said Samara. But Sophie ignored her, continuing to question Langdon. Then came a statement that Samara didn't expect.

"Jacques Sauniere was my grandfather. Apparently his dying with was for us to meet. I want to know why with your help, then I will help you get to your embassy," said Sophie.

"Fache isn't going to let Robert stroll out the door, is he?" said a suddenly concerned Samara.

"No, we need to find another way out of here," replied Sophie.

"All right, your highness. What exactly you propose we do?" asked Langdon. What happened next Samara considered pure genius. With Langdon's superb throwing arm, Fache chased after a truck. After they left, Langdon, Samara, and Sophie silently entered the Grand Gallery. "You have quite a good throwing arm, Professor," praised Sophie. Then she noticed her grandfather's corpse. She explained to them that she hadn't seen him for years. Today he tried to contact, saying that it was a matter of life and death. He even came by her station. Samara and Sophie looked at Langdon, who had a distant expression. "Come on. It can't be that easy," he said, picking up a piece of wadded up paper from the floor. "Fibonacci numbers only have meaning in their correct order. These were scrambled. Sophie, you said that Sauniere liked codes. What if the scrambled numbers are a clue to help decipher the rest of the message." He continued to look at the floor.

Samara caught on. " 'O, Draconian devil. Oh lame saint.' Meaningless…"

"Unless you assume that these letters are out of order too," finished Langdon.

"An anagram," said Sophie. She watched his face. "You have eidetic memory?"

"Not quite. He pretty much remembers what he sees," replied Samara, chuckling.

"Whoa. Anagram is right," he said, handing the paper to Samara.

" 'Leonardo da Vinci. The Mona Lisa'" she read.

"Professors, the _Mona Lisa_ is right over here," said Sophie. They walked over to the _Mona Lisa_. "Okay, sfumato shading. Smile in low spatial frequencies with the horizon line on the left significantly lower then on the tight," Langdon started to say.

"Why?" asked Sophie.

"As you can see, it makes her appear larger from the left than the right. According to history, the left is female and the right is male," finished Samara.

"The sacred feminine?" she asked. Langdon and Samara looked at her. "My grandfather said that the first time we came here," she explained.

"Look, blood," Samara said, pointing to the ground. Sophie shines her UV penlight on the glass and read, " 'So dark the con of man.'"

"It doesn't say that," said Langdon.

"Another anagram?" said Sophie. They hear a door slam shut.

"Robert, please hurry," said Samara.

"Man-mad-mark-corks-rocks…"

"_Madonna of the Rocks_," said Sophie, crossing over to the painting. It was hanging a little off the wall.

"Don't," warned Samara. Sophie jerks the painting halfway off the wall. Then they heard something hit the floor. In the dim light, they saw a hanging silver cruciform. "This can't be this," said a suddenly quiet Langdon.

**Thus another chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!**


	4. Of Things Past and Present REWRITE

**I'm back. Okay, so shoot me. A lot of things have been happening to me that I hope are now taken care of. **

**Anyway, I rewrote chapter 4 because I thought that it needed to be longer. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

After Sophie expertly scared the life out of the guard, they managed to make it out of the Louvre before Fache was able to return. They drove in silence, Sophie driving with Langdon in the passenger seat and Samara squeezed between them, before Sophie said, "It was his." Langdon and Samara looked at her as she continued, "I remember finding it when I was a girl. He promised he'd give it to me one day." The older woman watched as the young cryptographer's eyes darken. "He was one for promises, my grandfather," she said coldly.

Langdon looked at the pendant and asked, "Have you ever heard those words before, Sophie? _So dark the con of man_?"

"No. Have either of you?" she asked.

Samara just looked on as Langdon continued with, "When you were a child – were you ever aware of any gatherings? Anything ritualistic in nature? Strange meetings or ceremonies? Any gatherings he might have wanted kept secret? Did he ever talk about something called the Priory of Sion?"

"Robert, you can't be serious?" asked a startled Samara as she recognized the name. And then she remembered the anagram – _so dark the con of man_. Now it made sense to her.

Sophie shook her head. "The what? Why are you asking these things?" she asked.

Samara took up the explanation. "The Priory of Sion is considered a myth. It is one of the oldest and most secret societies in the world, with leaders like Sir Isaac Newton and da Vinci himself. They are considered the guardians of one of history's most greatest secrets, a secret that they refer to as 'the dark con of man'," she answered.

"What secret?" asked Sophie.

Before she could continue, Langdon interrupted with, "It's a myth. The Priory is history's version of Santa Claus."

"And it appears to be real," muttered Samara.

He glared at her. "Santa has his house at the North Pole, his reindeer and his flying sleigh. The Priory has their oath, their chalice, their crest of fleur-de-lis – which they share, by the way, with the New Orleans Saints and Kappa-Kappa-Gamma," he continued.

"Since when did you watch football?" Samara asked. He just continued to glare at her.

"This flower is a fleur-de-lis," Sophie stated.

Langdon nodded. "Yes. That's supposedly the seal of their secret brotherhood," he answered.

"But what is this secret they were suppose to be guarding?"  
"The source of God's power on earth," answered Samara while Langdon remained quiet.

Sophie was silent before hitting the brakes, crying, "_Merde!_" The trio looked ahead to see the intersection being blocked by two DCPJ cars. "All these things you know. You know something about what happened to him. Both of you do. Even if neither one of you knows what," she said. Suddenly, a car hits them from behind. Ignoring the yelling, Sophie added, "That is why he wanted us to meet."

"I'm in enough trouble as it is," said Langdon. He looked at Samara as she gave him a worried looked.

Sophie looked at them both. "I can't do this by myself. Please," she pleaded.

As Samara watched the hubble lights get closer, Langdon replied, "Look, even _if we could_ somehow get out of here –"

"Okay!" cried Sophie as she threw the car in reverse and began to drive madly backwards.

"We're going to die!" cried Samara as she watched the two squad cars give chase.

Seeing a gap between two passing trucks and realizing that the Frenchwoman was going to do, Langdon added, " You're not going to make it through that. No, no, no." But miraculously, she made it through. "Okay, that was extraordinarily lucky," he said.

"Oh, yeah," agreed Samara.

Sophie just shook her head. "We won't last long in this car. Fache doesn't like to be eluded. Even on a good day," she explained.

"Sounds about right," replied the older woman as Langdon nodded.

"We need someplace to think," said Sophie. Turning her head, she added, "So either of you have a credit card?" Looking ahead, the trio saw the shining glass rook of Nord train station.\

* * *

After ditching the car and setting up a false trail, the trio arrived in a park. "Bois de Boulogne," said Langdon.

"The mantis stays off the ant-hill, yes?" said Sophie.

Samara looked around. "Your police don't patrol this park." After Sophie bought off a man, she said, "Now we have a place to sit." She handed Langdon the pendant.

"You could have just handed me a piece of a UFO from Area 51," said Langdon as he looked at it.

Sophie asked, "So, what does it have to do with his murder?"

"If we only knew," replied Samara.

"Come on, it means something," said the Frenchwoman.

"This pendant means lots of things," said Langdon.

Deep in thought, Sophie mumbled, "What's the next step? With him, it's always, 'Sophie, what's the next step?'"

Then it hits Samara. "A treasure hunt."

"To find his killer, or maybe there is something about this Priory of Sion," reflected Sophie.

"I hope not. Any Priory story ends with bloodshed. Over the centuries they were butchered by the Vatican," said Langdon.

He looked at Samara and she picked up the beat. "In 1099, a French king named Godefroi de Bouillon conquered Jerusalem," she started to say. "According to the story, the invasion was to locate an artifact lost since the time of Christ. An artifact the Church would kill for."

"In order to recover it, he founded a secret society called the Priory of Sion; and their military arm, the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon," continued Langdon. Sophie looked confused.

"Otherwise known as the Knights Templar," said Samara.

Sophie looked stunned. "But I thought the Templars were created to protect the Holy Land?" asked Sophie.

"If you go by the myth, that was a cover in order to hide their true agenda," continued Langdon.

"And did they find it, this mysterious buried treasure?" asked Sophie.

Samara chuckled, enjoying the young woman's interest. "Let's just say that one day, the Templars simply stopped searching and quit the Holy Land in order to go to Rome," she answered. "No one knows if they blackmailed the papacy or simply accepted hush money. But we do know that the Vatican declared the Knights Templar of limitless power, independent of all kings and prelates, both religious and political," she added.

Langdon picked up the tale. "This lasted until the 1300s, when the Church used their influence to effect a stunning military maneuver." _Stunning is an understatement_, thought Samara as Langdon added, "Sealed orders were issued all across Europe to be opened simultaneously."

"Which back then was no easy task," added Samara.

"These orders stated that God himself had shown Pope Clement V that the Templars were devil worshippers, homosexuals, and sodomites to boot," he continued.

"It went down like clockwork. The Knights were all but obliterated. To make it more interesting, the date was October 13, 1307. A Friday," said Samara.

"Friday the thirteenth," whispered Sophie as the elder woman nodded. "But did they find their treasure?" she asked.

"It was Clement's true goal. But unfortunately for him, the Templars had already surrendered it to their masters, the Priory of Sion, long ago; who secreted it away to destinations unknown," replied Samara.

Still confused, Sophie asked, "But what artifact? The source of God's power on earth? I have never heard of it."

Hearing his colleague chuckle, Langdon answered, "Of course you have. Almost everyone on earth has. You just know it as the Holy Grail."

The woman just stared at them. "Come on. Sauniere thought he knew the location of the Holy Grail?" she asked incredulously.

Langdon looked at the pendant. "Maybe more than that. This cross-and-flower looks ancient, but the metal under here is much newer. There's a modern ID chip: 24 Haxo. And these tiny dots are read by a laser," he said.

"It's not just a pendant. It's a key," said Samara.

"There is no empirical evidence of the Priory, okay? Or a Grail object. But if this key your grandfather left you - ," said Langdon.

"He left us, Professor," said Sophie. She looked at the pendant. "And _vingt-quatre Haxo_ is not an ID stamp. It's a street address."

"Time to go, then," said Samara. As Sophie walked off to find transportation, Langdon turned to Samara. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she answered. In reality, she was getting nervous by the minute. But looking Robert, seeing his equal uncertainty, let her relax a little.


	5. The Cryptex

**Disclaimer:** Same as always

**Chapter 5**

As Samara, Langdon, and Sophie walked toward 24 _Haxo_, Samara noticed that the address did not lead to a church or monastery - it_ led to a bank_. More specifically, the Depository Bank of Zurich, a Swiss based bank. As she walked in silence, Langdon and Sophie were talking. "Follow his clues. Like I am a girl again," Sophie said. Langdon just shrugs. "Because of your expertise?" the young Frenchwoman suddenly asked.

Langdon turned his head to her and said, "I'm sorry?"

"About the Priory. Do you think that is why Sauniere sought you out? That he wanted us to meet?" Sophie continued.

"Hell, I can name dozens of scholars who know a lot more about it," he replied. Samara chuckled. Sophie turned to her and asked, "What do you know about the Priory?"

"Most likely as much as Robert. Secret organizations are not my area of expertise. I generally apply religious symbology to history. Mainly, I apply them to myths," she added.

"And the Grail?" Sophie asked.

Samara sighed. "I stay away from the Grail. There is too much controversy around it," she answered. She turned her head slightly to look at Robert. Ever since they met, Samara has been intrigued by him. She found him to be of a quiet spirit, always listening to those around him. She snapped out of her reverie when she heard Sophie say, "Mysterious. And annoying. Even in death."

"Actually, I don't think he liked me very much," Langdon said. "He made a joke at my expense. Got a pretty good laugh out of it."

"What was it?" Sophie asked, but she never got an answer. Langdon proceeded to insert the key into the slot and the door swings open. The trio entered the bank and was greeted by the guard. "_Bonsoir_. **How may I help you?**" he said. Langdon holds up the pendant, and the guard says, "**Of course. Rear door, please."**

The group made their way to the indicated door and entered into a beautiful room filled with Oriental carpets and oak furniture. Coming into the room was an older gentleman with ginger hair. "_Bonsoir_. **I am Andre Vernet, night manager. I take it this is your first visit to our establishment?**" he asked.

The three look at each other, and Sophie replied in English, "Yes."

Vernet smiled and said, "Understood. Keys are often passed on and first-time users are sometimes uncertain of protocol."

"Passed on?" Samara asked.

"An inheritance," he answered. Langdon glanced at Sophie. Vernet continued with, "Keys are essentially numbered Swiss accounts, often willed through generations. The shortest safety deposit box lease is fifty years."

"What's your longest account?" Sophie asked.

"Quite a bit longer. Technologies change. Keys are updated. But our accounts date back to the beginning of banking itself," Vernet answered.

Samara looked at Sophie. "The Templars invented banking," she explained.

"So they did," Vernet said. He proceeds to lead them to a podium that was in front of a wide conveyor belt that enters the room. Vernet said, "Once the computer confirms your key, enter your account number and your box is retrieved." He then pointed out a red switch on the wall. "Should you require assistance. The room is yours as long as you like," he added.

Sophie looked at Vernet and asked, "What if I lost track of my account number? How might I recover it?"

"I'm afraid each key is paired with a ten-digit number known only to the account bearer," Vernet explained.

"Employees do not have keys to the safe," Langdon stated.

Vernet said, "Something like that. I hope you manage to remember it. A single wrong entry disables the system." And with that, he smiled and left the room.

The trio looked at each other and Sophie said, "Ten." Langdon nods and pulls out the crumpled page that had the numbers on it. "Ten. Top of the sequence," he said.

"Unscrambled or scrambled?" Samara asked.

"Unscrambled?" suggested Sophie. Langdon handed her the key. "It's yours, after all," he said.

Sophie turned the key in her hand. "Funny. I don't even like history. I've never seen much good come from looking to the past," she said as she slips it into the slot. She frowns as she types the numbers into the computer.

"Moment of truth," Langdon said. Samara watched as Sophie hit the ENTER key. The screen goes blank. Everyone held their breath and released those breaths when they saw the conveyor belt begin to move. "I feel quite proud of myself considering I just did nothing," Sophie said with a grin.

"Hell, congratulations then," Langdon said. Samara laughed as she watches a box stop in front of them. Sophie opens the box, pulls out something, and hands it to Langdon. Before he could say anything, the door began to open. He slips the object into his pocket. Vernet enters and says, "Forgive the intrusion. I'm afraid the police arrived more quickly than I anticipated. You must follow me, please. For your own safety." The group followed the bank manager through the side door down the gunmetal hall.

"You knew they were coming?" asked Samara.

"My guard alerted me to your status when you arrived. Yours is one of our oldest and highest-level accounts. Our bank prides itself on discretion. Your account includes a safe passage clause," Vernet answered.

"A what?" Langdon asked. Samara was equally perplexed.

"I am obliged to assist you in safely departing the premises," explained Vernet. He opened a door leading to the loading area. Beyond it was a windowless box the size of a very small room. "If you would step inside, please. Time is of the essence," he said as he gestured for them to get in. Sophie gets in; but Langdon went pale as he looked inside. "In there?" he asked.

Samara looked at him and remembers. _Robert's claustrophobic_. She slipped her hand in Robert's and squeezed it. When Langdon looks at her, she gave him a reassuring smile and gently led him inside. As the bank manager closed the door and darkness descends, Samara felt Langdon start to squeeze her hand. She moved closer to him so that he can hold on to her. Then she waited.

* * *

A while later, Samara was impressed on how Vernet got them past the police. She recognized Lieutenant Collet's voice through the walls. Samara continued to allow Langdon to hold her tight as a way to focus on something else other than the small room. "The Holy Grail? You would think it would be bigger," Sophie said as a single light bulb turns on. Her companions smile. "A magic cup? The source of God's power on earth? It's nonsense," the young woman continues as Samara noticed that she was holding a small box.

Samara smiled. "You don't believe in God, I see," she said.

"No. I don't believe in some magic from the sky. Just people. And sometimes, that they can be kind," Sophie said.

"That's enough?" asked Langdon.

"I think it has to be. I think it's all we have," she answered. She looked at the academics. "Are either of you God-fearing?" she asked.

"Yes," answered Samara.

Langdon answered with, "I was raised Catholic."

"That's not really an answer," said Sophie. She began to notice his sweat-stained face and shaking hands. "Professor, are you okay?" she asked. His only response was tightening his hold on Samara and shaking his head.

"Open it up," he said instead. Seeing her concerned face, he added, "Go on."

As she touched the engraved rose and lifted the top. "This one is very old," she said. To show them what she meant, she lifted a small cylinder from the padded interior. Samara looked in wonderment as she saw stacked marble disks embossed with letters in a brass framework with brass caps sealing each end. "A cryptex," Sophie answered, seeming to sense their bewilderment, "they're used to keep secrets. You write the information on a papyrus scroll which is then rolled around a thin vial glass of vinegar."

"I see where you are going with this. If someone tries to force it open, the vinegar vial would break and dissolve the papyrus, and the secret is lost forever," said Samara.

Sophie smiled and nodded. "The only way to access the information is to spell out the password with these," she continued, showing them the lettered dials. "Five dials, each with twenty-six letters. That's…twelve million possibilities."

"This is why I don't do math," grumbled Samara.

"If I remember right, you flunked the test the math department issued for fun," whispered Robert. She glared at him in response. Chuckling, he turned to Sophie and said, "I never met a girl who knew that much about a cryptex."

Sophie flushed unexpectedly. Recovering quickly, she said, "Sauniere made one for me once."

"My grandpa gave me a wagon," said Langdon.

"Mine gave me a gun," countered Samara. Langdon stared at her. "What?! He wanted to take me hunting," she added defensively.

"This clearly isn't the Holy Grail. Robert, what's going on?" demanded Sophie. As the truck hit a bump, Langdon shut his eyes and held Samara tighter, shaking as he did. "Please, you are not alright," she said, sympathy entering her voice.

Samara sighed and answered, "He's claustrophobic."

Understanding, Sophie asked, "May I try something? I don't know why it works. My mother used to do it when I was scared, I think." With that, she reached out, taking his temples between her palms and pressed her forehead against his, rocking slightly.

As Samara looked on, Robert retorted, "You think?"

"My parents died in a car crash. With my brother. I was four," she answered.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," whispered Samara.

"It was many years ago," she replied as she lets go.

"But pain such as that remains forever," replied Samara.

Looking at Langdon, Sophie asked, "Better?"

"Yes," he replied, very surprised. "What did you do?" he asked.

But before she could answer, the truck began to slow down. "We're stopping," said Samara as they came to a complete stop.

Langdon had just enough time to slip the cryptex back into its box and into his pocket when the doors swung open. "Sorry about this," said Vernet as he held a gun at them.

"What are you doing?" demanded Samara, seeing that they were well off the beaten path.

Vernet ignored her as he said, "Bring it to me."

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," said Langdon.

Vernet just shook his head. "Twenty years waiting for someone to come for that box and now it's you three murderers," he said. Cocking the hammer, he repeated, "Bring it to me."

"Please listen…" was all Samara got out before he fired a bullet into the wall above Langdon's head, the spent shell hitting the cargo hold floor.

"Okay! Okay!" cried Langdon.

"Right. Now," demanded the manager. Langdon reached into his pocket and pulled the box out. As he stepped forward, Vernet ordered, " Place it near the edge of the door." Langdon knelt and deposited the box at the edge of the hold. "Stand up," was the next order. He obliged, secretly clocking the spent pistol shell. "Step away from the box. No one will lose sleep over a trio on a killing spree," said Vernet.

"A killing spree?" asked Samara as she noticed Langdon discreetly brush the spent shell with his foot into the lower frame of the door's crafted sill.

"Return to the back wall and turn around. The young mademoiselle also. The older one has to move closer to the door. She is going to ride with me up front," ordered Vernet. Langdon and Sophie did as they were told as Samara walked towards the man, who pulled her out of the hold. He slammed the door and reached up to slide the exterior latch shut when he realized that the door would not close. He slammed into it to get it closed but instead goes reeling to the ground as the door suddenly crashes into him. Samara watched as Langdon hit the gravel and cut his hand. Samara grabbed the box and ran toward the passenger's side door with Sophie as Langdon went for the driver's. He got the truck started and back on the road as they heard bullets hit the truck. But they just kept on going.

* * *

As they drove down the road, Sophie stuck her head out for a minute before coming back inside.

"You okay?" asked Samara.

"Always, if I got too nervous, I had to put my head out the window as to not be sick," she answered. As Langdon tamps the blood from his palm with tissues from the box on the dashboard, she added, "Sauniere used to say I was like a dog. A cute dog. A little dog." Looking at the box in Samara's lap, she said, "And somebody murders him. Somebody shoots at us. For this." Samara responded by handing the box to her. Sophie takes the cryptex out and began to turn the dials.

"What happened between you and your grandfather, Sophie?" asked Langdon. Sophie looked at him with surprise written on her face. "My shoulder hurts. I've been shot at. Be straight with me," he asked. Sophie just shook her head. "You say he raised you, but you two don't talk anymore. You call him by his last name," he added. Sophie just ignored him. "You say you hate history. Nobody hates history, they hate their own histories," he argued.

"Now you are a psychologist, too?" she asked.

A thought came to Samara. "What if Sauniere was starting to groom you?" she asked.

Langdon looked at the redhead as Sophie asked, "What do you mean, groom me?"

"From what I understand, in secret societies, kids are trained from an early age to understand codes and symbols, to keep secrets," replied Samara.

Realizing where she was going, Langdon continued her thought, "Your grandfather gave you puzzles and cryptexes as a child. Say, Sauniere hopes you will one day join him in the Priory. Whatever interrupted your relationship abrogates that process. But years later, he imagines the Grail is in danger, so he reaches out to you."

"Now I'm being groomed by Santa Claus? So you're saying all this is real. The Priory. The Holy Grail?" asked Sophie.

"We have been dragged into a world where people think this stuff is real. Real enough to kill," said Samara.

"But who?"

Langdon shook his head. "Samara and I are out of our fields here," he said. "I know a grail historian. Absolutely obsessed with Priory myth."

"_Him_? You want to ask _him_ for help?" asked Samara.

"Can you think of anyone else?"

"Who?" asked Sophie.

Samara sighed. "An Englishman who lives here in France. At Château Villette," she answered.

"_Le Château de la Villette_? In Versailles?" asked a surprised young woman.

"Yes, that's the one," answered Langdon.

"Ah, nice friends," she said.

Langdon just shrug as he glanced at the dashboard. "Damn, we're almost on empty," he said.

Sophie leaned over to the gas gauge and flicked her finger on it twice. It springs to nearly full. "Not French engineering," she explained. She looked out into the night. "Do you trust this man? Fache could even be offering a reward," she asked.

Samara snorted as Langdon said, "One think Leigh doesn't need is money."

"_Sir_ Leigh. Now, Robert, how many times has he heckled you on that?" questioned Samara.

"Don't start," he warned.

"Oh, I think I can," she replied.

Before he could retort, Sophie asked, "_Sir_ Leigh?"

Samara smiled at her. "We're on a Grail quest, Sophie. Who better to help us than a knight?" she asked.

**Here's chapter 5. I have started on chapter 6, but I want to get it just right (since they are meeting Teabing). Please R&R!**


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